The Collateral Damage Of Apo Killings

Since the war on terror started in Nigeria almost half a decade ago, the conduct of security officers meant to safeguard the security of the Nigerian people has come under intense scrutiny. The Baga, Bama and more recently Benishiek in Borno State infamy of extra-judicial killings and most recently in the nation’s capital of Abuja attests to the fact that security operatives might be doing more harm than good, in operations that leave more collateral damage, hence casting the security and safety of Nigerians into greater doubt now than ever before. ABDULSALAM BADAMASI writes..

The public outrage that followed the killings of squatters mostly tricycle (Keke Napep) operators in the posh Apo area next door to the legislative quarters have generated public angst and outcry about the conduct of our security offices, a lawmaker who declined mention said this impunity and the use of extreme force against hapless citizens is a depressing retrogression and deterioration of  professionalism of security personnel in this country. The premise was that the squatters were suspected Boko Haram members who have infiltrated Abuja. Most residents in the area reject have since rejected that notion.

Piles of questions have been asked as to the scary circumstances of that early Saturday morning. The big question that public observers have been craving for answer is the use of excessive force by the Department of Security Service, DSS in combination with the military. Another burning poser is the need to know who really was the sponsor and masterminds of such act, since the general conclusion was that the forces really did not operate on reliable intelligence gathered.

A quick throwback of the recent blood letting in Benishiekh Local Government area of Borno State, a local government that is less than 100km from Maiduguri the state capital and Damaturu, Yobe State capital reeks of the declining operational capabilities of the security forces that were reinforced on the onset of emergency rule four months ago in May.

The insurgents operated on a major trunk A Federal Highway in broad day light, dragging motorists out of their vehicles and murdering them in cold blood for 6 bold hours! No rapid response from security operatives that ordinarily should have more fire power, better logistical resource and support and at least basic intelligence gathered over the course of 4 months in a combative-friendly atmosphere. The routine press releases from the military came in, claims and more counter-claims of the exact casualties were put through the treadmill and yet little lessons learned. Well, it is at our doorstep right now.

Now back to the aftermath of the Apo killings. Obviously the victims mattered less, for a motive has been established, corroborated and pre-authenticated from both the security operatives persons supposed spokesperson of the association that had the highest mortal casualty in the incident.

The spokesman of the of the Tricycle operators in Abuja came on channels TV in an attempt to validate the DSS and military claim that they were actually after the Boko-Haram sect members. That “because two or three Boko Haram people were in the building offers no excuse to kill innocent people.” Looking at it from the angle he posited one may wonder what kind of authority and how much knowledge he has of the threesome or twosome he claimed were part of the Boko-Haram sect. Could the security propaganda machine be at work, given that they have deployed so much resources in media wars and burying facts about the true nature of there activities in other parts of the country, especially Borno, where they have limited the press and even rights organizations from unearthing the truth.

The media’s role in this collateral damage is crucial and not in doubt. Premium Times reported that the building where the alleged Boko-Haram squatters were holed up in belonged to the sister of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Other reports claimed it belonged to a retired red-necked military personnel, yet no one, not even a spokes person of the owner of the property has come out to condemn the killing of not one, two or three but seven innocent citizens that were never given the opportunity to defend themselves before they were extra-judicially exterminated!


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The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has awarded N10 million against Federal Government as compensation to each family of the eight victims of Sept. 20, 2013 killing in Apo, Abuja.

Chidi Odinkalu, who presided over the panel of enquiry into the killing of some squatters in a residence in Apo by security operatives, announced this at the public presentation of the panel’s report in Abuja.

He said the panel also awarded N5 million compensation to each of the 11 injured victims of the encounter.

The panel ordered the Attorney General of the Federation to ensure that evidence of payment was lodged with the registry of the NHRC within 30 days of the decision.

He said the compensation followed failure of the respondents to prove that the victims were members of the Boko Haram sect as alleged.

“Having investigated the complaint, heard all the parties and examined the relevant laws, there is no credible evidence to show that the victims were members of Boko Haram.

“The self defence asserted by the respondents was not supported by facts and the application of lethal force was disproportionate and the killing of the eight persons and injuries to 11 others were unlawful”, he said.

Odinkalu, who restrained the respondents from the use of administrative banishment against any of the injured victims, said the commission would register its decision for enforcement with the Federal High Court. =  PM News